It is often desirable to add insulation to an existing wall of a home or other building, for example to reduce the cost of heating and cooling the building. Often, additional insulation is provided as part of a project that includes other treatments to the wall as well.
In one common situation, a home or other building may have a basement with walls of poured concrete, concrete block, or a similar material. During finishing of the basement, insulation may be placed at the wall and finishing materials place over the insulation. A common previous technique for finishing a basement wall is to frame a wood-framed wall spaced just inside of the basement wall, place batt insulation between framing members of the wood-framed wall, and then attach finishing materials to the interior surface of the wood-framed walls. Common finishing materials would include paneling or drywall board, which may be nailed or screwed to the wood frame of the wood-framed wall. Wood frame construction is time consuming and complex.
Some other techniques for adding insulation to an existing basement have been developed. For example, insulating foam sheets may be adhered or attached to the basement wall. However, previous attachment methods have not provided any ability to compensate for irregularities in the wall. As is well known, concrete walls, especially existing walls in older buildings, may not be precisely vertical, and may include various other irregularities that result from the concrete forming and pouring process. For a pleasing finished look, it is desirable that the finished basement have vertical, planar walls.
There are also other situations in which it is desirable to add insulation to a wall. For example, additional insulation may be added to an exterior wall of a home or building, often in conjunction with a home renovation that may also include providing a new outer surface material for the building. Walls may also be insulated during new construction.